How Cubs' Christopher Morel 'saved the game' with his defense at third base Saturday against Mariners

SEATTLE — Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel took a step and leaped toward the line, snagging a hard grounder off Mariners designated hitter Mitch Garver’s bat. Then he popped up and made a strong throw to first on a long hop to get the improbable out.

“That changes the game right there,” manager Craig Counsell said Saturday after the Cubs’ 4-1 win. “They may have the lead if that ball gets into the corner. So that was a huge play. And he made some real nice plays tonight overall. It’s definitely a really big defensive game for Christopher.”

Morel has been concentrating on third base this season after coming up through the Cubs’ farm system and playing the first two seasons of his major-league career as a utility player. The team went into that decision expecting growing pains.

Playing Morel at third — instead of confining him to designated hitter, which he was for stretches of last season — gives the Cubs more lineup options and roster flexibility both this season and in the future.

It has been clear that Morel is capable of spectacular defensive plays. The next step for him is consistency. Morel’s defense on Saturday was consistent and spectacular.

“I definitely feel more confident,” he said Sunday through team interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. “I want to thank Counsell for instilling that trust in me and giving me the opportunity to go out there and play third base, to be able to get the trust up at that position.”

When Garver came up to bat in the sixth inning, the Mariners had runners on first and second with no outs, and the Cubs were holding on to a 2-1 lead. Garver hit the ball into the ground at 105 mph.

“It’s a reaction thing,” Morel said. “Just did something that we practice every day.”

Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Shota Imanaga for the next batter, Dylan Moore. On a 3-2 count, Moore hit a line drive up the third-base line. Morel leaped and caught it.

“The plays that Morel made were unbelievable,” Leiter said.

Positive Thompson

After a smooth start to right-hander Keegan Thompson’s major-league career, he was up and down between the big-leagues and Triple-A last year. And he began this season in Triple-A.

“You never have it figured out, that’s for sure,” Thompson said of what the past couple years have taught him. “So just to find one thing positive in whatever you did that day and just try to keep a positive outlook on things.”

Thompson threw two perfect innings in his first outing back in the major leagues Monday.

Reunion

Imanaga already had crossed paths with Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki on a practice field before the World Baseball Classic, Imanaga told the Sun-Times.

So when they saw each other Friday — Suzuki is now a special assistant to the chairman for the Mariners — Imanaga wanted to thank him.

“I talked to him about, from his perspective as a left-handed hitter, what kind of pitchers are hard to deal with, what kind of sequencing, and stuff like that,” Imanaga said.